ultrasonic cleaner

[sherpa]

What do you use for a cleaning fluid in your ultrasonic cleaner?

 

[5030]

I use Berrymans Chem Tool in my big one. I hear Simple Green Aviation cleaners is good too but never used it.

 

[Zmann.]

interesting comment from chemtool

OK to use Chem-Dip in an ultrasonic cleaner? - Berryman Products

I have a small ultrasonic cleaner for cleaning carburetors and... Read More »

www.berrymanproducts.com

 

[Tinhack]

I have a small one I use for cleaning carburetors and other small items. I use ultrasonic cleaning fluid. Which is typically whatever low-foam soap I have on hand or can find at the time. Usually, Simple Green but I have used car wash soap, windshield washer fluid and some yellow surface cleaner I can't remember the name of. They all seem to work and easy to rinse off.

 

[ponytug]

Just don't use a flammable liquid! Water based liquids only. If you need to use organic solvents, clean with the organics, rinse, ultrasound in your favorite detergent, and repeat as necessary.

Like @Tinhack, I use what's on hand that is preferably low foam. Alconox (high pH, works great, but don't leave alloy parts, e.g. zinc, brass, aluminum, in it for very long), washing soda, Simple Green, and even Dawn at a pinch.

I find that the design and power of the ultrasonic transducers makes more of a difference. I have had ones that just weren't well coupled to the cleaning tank and did not clean well.

All the best,

Peter

 

[thepumpguysc]

Harbor freight sell a powder for use in their sonic cleaner.. it must be strong because your only to use 1/8th..teaspoon.!!

 

[rangerfredbob]

I just use some Dawn in mine, seems to work good enough and I don't feel bad about just dumping it every few uses...

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Simple Green diluted with distilled water, 5% Simple Green is what Mikuni said to use.

 

[Tinhack]

Harbor freight sell a powder for use in their sonic cleaner.. it must be strong because your only to use 1/8th..teaspoon.!!

"Not for use on aluminum or magnesium alloys."

 

[thepumpguysc]

That doesn’t apply to me..
They say possible
“dis colorization”..but it is a “warning”..not for use with..

 

[sherpa]

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Avenger]

I have this one:

It hold a LOT of fluid. When doing large items, or lots of small items, its very nice to have the capacity. But thats a LOT of cleaner! The grease and oils that come off of some parts can be a pain to clean out too. For doing jewelry, I really dont want grease in there. I discovered using simple tap water for the bulk of the cleaner. I use little jars, ranging from very small glass jars, up to qt size ball jars. Peanut butter jars are really good. These jars hold the cleaning solution and the object I'm cleaning.

Here is the process. I put a small carb or carb parts into a peanut butter jar, fill it with gasoline (OMG! ) and put the entire thing in the water. The ultrasonic waves will pass through glass and plastic as if they were not there. Now, I'm not wasting all that cleaner, and my machine stays clean!

I use this for my wife's jewelry in a small jar: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00725MAG8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use simple green, gasoline, dawn, Zep industrial purple degreaser, even CLP. All in jars, or home made PVC tubes, etc.

I have a few silencers that I've made a PVC tube for. I put the silencer in the tube, fill it with CLP, seal it up with a screw top, let it soak for a day or two, and run it for a few hours in the ultrasonic. Cleans the carbon quite well.

 

[kf4uda]

I have this one:
View attachment 781993

It hold a LOT of fluid. When doing large items, or lots of small items, its very nice to have the capacity. But thats a LOT of cleaner! The grease and oils that come off of some parts can be a pain to clean out too. For doing jewelry, I really dont want grease in there. I discovered using simple tap water for the bulk of the cleaner. I use little jars, ranging from very small glass jars, up to qt size ball jars. Peanut butter jars are really good. These jars hold the cleaning solution and the object I'm cleaning.

Here is the process. I put a small carb or carb parts into a peanut butter jar, fill it with gasoline (OMG! ) and put the entire thing in the water. The ultrasonic waves will pass through glass and plastic as if they were not there. Now, I'm not wasting all that cleaner, and my machine stays clean!

I use this for my wife's jewelry in a small jar: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00725MAG8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use simple green, gasoline, dawn, Zep industrial purple degreaser, even CLP. All in jars, or home made PVC tubes, etc.

I have a few silencers that I've made a PVC tube for. I put the silencer in the tube, fill it with CLP, seal it up with a screw top, let it soak for a day or two, and run it for a few hours in the ultrasonic. Cleans the carbon quite well.

Thank you very much for posting your experiences and methods. I have been looking different machines for a future purchase. I did not know you could isolate items and solutions in containers like that. That is great information.

 

[ponytug]

@Avenger Thanks for the good post. In the FWIW department, there is some attenuation of the ultrasound using plastic containers, more for soft plastic like polyethylene, less for hard plastic like PET. For me, using containers just seemed to take a little longer.

I have used glass containers on occasion, but I have had a a couple of glass containers crack or break, I have it filed in my personal, "use with caution" bin.

Mostly, I used to use containers when the parts were small and easily lost. (I.e. not with flammable liquids) These days, I would probably just buy or make small screen baskets instead.

All the best,

Peter

 

[sherpa]

All this good info makes owning a ultrasonic cleaner more fun!

 

[5030]

One with heat is better.

 

[Rich B1]

I have tried a number of different additives in my ultra-sonic cleaner. Most work fine.

But, I do a lot of aluminum castings and carbs. I have found most additives like Simple Green, etc. discolor the castings or carb bodies.

Dawn dish soap is cheap and doesn’t discolor the material. Plain water works well too.

I change the water frequently and always clean the tank before adding fresh water. I have also found cleaning parts, drain/clean the tank and do the parts one final time does a good rinse.

 

[5030]

The Berrymans I use is water soluble so I rinse the parts in hot water and blow dey. Been doing that to my match target guns for years.

 

[westcliffe01]

They suggest you use a sealed container into which you put your parts and solvent and then place that in the water. I would use paraffin, higher flash point than gasoline or a lot of other solvents.

Second video:

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I have tried a number of different additives in my ultra-sonic cleaner. Most work fine.

But, I do a lot of aluminum castings and carbs. I have found most additives like Simple Green, etc. discolor the castings or carb bodies.

Dawn dish soap is cheap and doesn’t discolor the material. Plain water works well too.

I change the water frequently and always clean the tank before adding fresh water. I have also found cleaning parts, drain/clean the tank and do the parts one final time does a good rinse.

A Mikuni carburetor turned black with Simple Green so I called Mikuni. The tech said they use a heated ultrasonic cleaner 5% Simple Green, 95% distilled water.
I used that method other 3 Mikuni carbs with great results.
I just have a Harbor Freight one that works fine.